#and cody cares abt anakin

[ineffablejaymee]

its very important to me for anakin to be craving cody's approval, and cody acting like he doesn't have any sympathy for anakin

and its even more important for anakin to see cody as a father figure/role model

and its the most important for cody to matter-of-factly mention to anakin that he is proud of him

[glimmerglanger]

Hi!! With the Bush League snippets, I’d love to see Ben’s pov from the ch8 locker room scene or maybe a discussion he had w Anakin abt it? (if he told him anything at all)

Oooooooooh! I don't think Ben ever volunteers information about what happened to Anakin about it (probably for the best, I don't think Anakin would take it well at all). So here is a bit from his pov!

Set during part 8 of "Bush League," keep in mind all warnings for the fic. Yes, this is during Cody blowing everything up.

~~~~~~

It wasn’t like anything that had just poured out of Cody’s mouth was particularly novel.

Ben had heard it all before. And worse. He could guess, well enough, how Cody’d been planning to end that last sentence before cutting himself off. There’d always been someone around willing to say the same sorts of things.

It hurt, anyway. It went beyond hurt, each word twisting inside him, not because they were particularly unique or even especially foul, as far as it went.

But because he’d -- he’d thought Cody felt the same way he did. Cody’d wanted him to meet his brothers, and had taken care of him when he was sick - even though Ben hadn’t been able to do anything for him, that whole time - and they’d gone the to game together, the best date Ben had been able to plan.

And he’d been hoping, walking out of that conversation with Mace, that if they ended up playing together next year, Cody would--would just arrange for them to room together, the way he’d arranged for them to be together on the road, this season, not saying anything but showing how he wanted Ben close, wanted him around more than anyone else on the team.

Hearing what Cody actually thought of him, what Cody really felt about him, about what he’d done, the last six months--

Ben felt lightheaded, feeling his pulse beat against his cheeks, painfully - burningly - aware of everyone else in the room, the tableau he and Cody and Krell made.

It must have been fucking entertaining for them.

Krell sure looked entertained, when Ben glanced at him. It was less painful than looking at Cody, anyway. Cody, who’d used him. Cody, who he loved. Cody, who--

Krell looked like he’d won something, delight all over his face. He probably expected Ben to--cry. Or run out of the room. Or deny. Probably expected something he could properly crow over.

And Ben wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. He wouldn’t give either of them the fucking satisfaction, shoving aside the blazing pain through his chest and into his gut and tilting his chin up.

They could both get fucked. At least, now, he knew the truth.

[yellowocaballero]

Hi! i enjoy your writing so much. that part where obi wan thought that he did something to make cody was upset and since we're in fox's pov we know that its something that has nothing to do with obi but since obi's a kid he thinks its his fault that this adult he cares about is upset abt something.. Youre really good at writing children. i also loved the small look at siri we got. I wont lie, i got confused while reading abt fox's space dementia but i realize we're supposed to share his lack of memory/bg info, and figure out by ourselves whats going on behind the scenes. I cant really tell if his space dementia brain rot is more from sith mind-control brain magic or from being a fascist but im glad that fox still decides to live in the end. also, cody was so funny in this. Heartwarming! fascist clone dad manipulates politics to bring his son closer to him!

Thank you!!! That story was A Lot, but it was interesting.

Yeah, Obi-Wan's Babie Mode :( and one of the worst parts about being a kid is being so incredibly self-centered you think that everything's about you. He doesn't really understand Cody's feelings, but he wants him to be happy, and gets frustrated when he just can't make somebody he cares about happy. Cody & Obi-Wan's storyline is one metaphorically about cycles of abuse, and it can be tough to be a kid in that situation wondering what you did wrong when your parent can't parent correctly, not knowing that it's due more to their tremendous amount of baggage then it is anything about you. Cody can get a bit secretly smug when A Plan Comes Together, and one of the first things I wrote for the story was the really fantastic mental image of Cody's shit eating grin as Fox realized that Cody just caused THE ENTIRE STORY just for the PETTIEST reason. (That, of course, wasn't very petty at all - the step that Fox didn't know about was that Cody needed Ben on Naboo at that moment so Ben could kill him).

The Siri thing was SO extraneous and I definitely should have deleted it, but I wanted to humanize the jerky Ferrus, compare Jedi vs. clone families, and demonstrate that entering a brain without permission leaves a piece of yourself behind - so, ergo, the Emperor left a lot of himself behind in Fox, and that's what swiss cheesed him.

But that's all excuses because I really wanted to finally write Tahl, Ferrus, and Siri - a family oft-mentioned but never seen! I put more emphasis on Quinlan's family typically, but since OW&Siri's lineages are so close they must have had board game nights. Siri and Tahl died when Obi-Wan just turned 15 as a nod to their early death in canon, and I can only imagine Obi-Wan's reaction was interesting (Sadly, I think he probably made it a point of pride not to care)(Or like, even worse, it genuinely didn't phase him...). We get a lot of Quinlan but not much of her, so I was happy to work her in. I think she was socially awkward and Weird (TM), and she was more OW's friend then friends with the rest of the friend group, and that she was jealous of Quinlan for being so close to OW. She craves violence at all times and is an ace pilot, and also got along better with the clones than other Jedi. She's a lot like Anakin.

Worth noting that without Obi-Wan and with Ahsoka so much older, Ferrus was probably genuinely Anakin's only friend growing up. I changed his pre-O66 personality a bit just for narrative reasons, especially since he should have left the Order and didn't for plot reasons, and the idea of him just being this very mild, friendly, polite, middle manager type, who after O66 becomes comedically badass is very funny to me. He and Fox are genuinely mortal enemies. Fox does not know this.

Re: confusing - yeah, a problem I'm ALWAYS having as a writer is to hit the right level of confusion. I frequently want confusing, but not too confusing. It should be a puzzle that the reader can figure out. It's a hunk of meat frozen in a block of ice for the reader's enrichment. I think I've gotten better at it, but I'm still not great. I do think there's a difference between 'I'm confused because I don't understand what's happening in the plot/the plot's contradictory' and 'I'm confused because I don't know everything that's happening in the story'. The first one is the one I try to avoid! For the second one - sometimes it's very interesting not to have the whole picture.

But - yes, the reader is not meant to have a good idea of what's happening in the story. Only a few things are outright said to Fox, and the reader mostly has to put together the actions of the other characters. Some of it is only really expanded upon or answered in More Than Zero. For example, a lot of the stuff Cody says and does only makes sense when you remember that this entire story he is basically setting up his suicide. Fox doesn't know that. To jump forward, at the end of More Than Zero Cody says that he thinks it failed because he lost conviction - I think part of the reason why he lost conviction was guilt from abandoning Fox, when Fox really needs him right now.

It gives the story a claustrophobic, hazy, confused feeling. It lets us get an idea of how weirdly scary this has to be - 'stay in your room and don't bother us as the galaxy is lowkey collapsing in the background'. People are acting in ways that don't make any sense and he's told not to worry about it. All of the decisions about himself and his future are being made behind his back. Even worse, are being made by Cody, of all people. Who extorted them away from the guy Fox actually gave them to. One throw-away line from Thire becomes the most important in the story - that everybody is split between a bunch of different sides, including Cody: On Cody's Side!, and they all think that they're doing what's best for Fox - but only Mace Windu is on Fox's side.

Finally, what's going on with Fox is definitely not because he's a fascist. It's not a punishment, just a side-effect of Oops All Sith Magic Brainwashing happening to him for so long. He got a little dependent on the numbing effects of the Dark Side in order to deal with waves hands, but we see in the flashbacks how every time he goes Emperor's Mouthpiece mode he can feel his brain frying. Not his fault.

Sorry that got long OTL. A lot was going on in this one. Very little of it was obvious or explained. I REALLY enjoy working with super-limited POV, and the challenge is to give the reader insight into the story through the eyes of someone who doesn't get what's happening. Also why kid POVs are so much fun. Thanks for reading!

[catsnkooks]

Beach Craze

Hardcase x reader x Jesse

summary: The Clone Wars had finally ended. The Republic had won. The whole galaxy was filled with the same exhilaration of victory, and everyone seemed to be celebrating. To celebrate, you were on a girl’s getaway with your two best friends. The three of you had planned it many years ago, as your office job on Coruscant could get boring at times, but travel was dangerous during the war. But now that it was over, you could enjoy the sultry beaches and open bar that the hotel you were staying at on Scarif boasted.

rating: PG-13

warnings: some mentions of Sexy Times but thats abt it, mostly fluff

word count: 4,187

a/n: this was meant to be out a month ago but here it is!! canon never happened, nope, everyone lived (except sheev). inspired by @notreallybeccab and @suddenly-clones beach fics and @suja-janee beach times art :’)

here it is on ao3!

The warm winds that made Scarif famous blew through your hair as you sat on your colorful beach towel, the soft sound of the waves of the calm water echoing beside you. You buried your feet in the soft, warm sand. You laughed along with your beautiful Twi’lek friend, Torva’ris, as your other friend, Narei, told you the story of her latest romantic escapade.

“So as I'm talking to her,” Narei continued, flipping one of her twin braids across her shoulder, “some guy comes up to us and says, ‘No need to fight ladies, I can share.’ And she says, ‘I'm a lesbian, jackass.’”

The three of you burst into laughter again. You lifted your head, your mouth and heart singing with the exhilaration of being happy and free and at peace.

The Clone Wars had finally ended. The Republic had won. The whole galaxy was filled with the same exhilaration of victory, and everyone seemed to be celebrating. To celebrate, you were on a girl’s getaway with your two best friends. The three of you had planned it many years ago, as your office job on Coruscant could get boring at times, but travel was dangerous during the war. But now that it was over, you could enjoy the sultry beaches and open bar that the hotel you were staying at on Scarif boasted.

Torva rolled her eyes beside you, wearing a white two-piece that accentuated the deep blue hue of her skin. “Ugh, men.”

Narei snorted on your other side, sheltered underneath her large umbrella, and you knew she was rolling her eyes under her dark sunglasses. She had already applied sunscreen to her pale skin liberally, but she said she wasn’t taking any chances. Her natural green, high-waisted bikini showed off her petite frame. “Tell me about it. I don’t know why I'm still attracted to them.”

You laughed at Narei’s frustrated comment. You leaned back on your own beach towel, admiring the way it complemented the color of your swimsuit—your favorite color. Your eyes traveled up the stretch of the beach to where another large group of people rested. You noticed a group of six men looking in your direction, nudging and laughing at each other.

“Don’t look now,” you began, nodding your head in the direction of the men, “but I think we might have attracted some more of them.”

Torva and Narei turned to look in the direction you indicated. Narei peered over the rims of her sunglasses. “Hm, looks like clones.”

“Oh?” Torva asked, raising her eyebrows appreciatively.

Narei studied them closer. “Looks like the 501st, 212th, and 104th from their colors.” You then remembered Narei worked as a secretary in one of the GAR offices. “I had a night with a guy from the 327th once. I hope he’s not here.” She paused. “Actually, I do, because General Secura is kinda hot.”

“Well, I guess we’ll find out,” you said, settling back on your elbows as you also studied the men coming towards you.

They were made for fighting, that much you could tell. Toned, defined muscles lined their torsos and arms. Bronzed skin tanned even deeper by a short time in the sun. Your eyes traced the V of their stomachs as it disappeared below the band of their swim trunks, colored to what you presume were their battalion colors: blue, gray, and yellow. They all had different hairstyles and facial markings, which, you supposed, was the only way you could tell them apart.

“Why didn’t you hook me up with one of them sooner?” you muttered to Narei, still letting your eyes wander appreciatively over the six men who were almost at your spot.

“You never asked,” Narei huffed.

“You ladies mind if we join you?” said the one with the Republic symbol over his face.

You shook your head and patted the sand beside you. “No, we don’t mind.”

They all seemed to grin at your words and sat down beside the each of you, introducing themselves. Beside Narei sat Boost and Sinker from the 104th, beside you, Jesse and Hardcase from the 501st, and finally, Boil and Waxer from the 212th beside Torva.

“Did you see Tup brought a metal detector with him?” Hardcase said to you left, grinning at Jesse who sat to your right. You also noticed the way his eyes subtly roamed over your figure before coming up to wink at his brother.

Jesse rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I did. I'm surprised Dogma didn’t chew him out for bringing it.” He picked up your hand and rubbed small circles into your palm with his thumb, looking into your eyes and smirking. “He’s a big stickler on illegal contraband and everything.”

“I agree with Tup,” said Boost. Sinker was too busy checking Narei out to contribute to the conversation, his fingers dancing over her thigh. “You can find some interesting things with a metal detector.”

“Well, the only thing I'm interested in is getting some sun,” Torva said, flipping one of her lekku over her shoulder. Waxer reached up to smooth it along her back.

You nodded emphatically and groaned. “Ugh, yes. I missed it after being in an office for so long.” You lifted your arms, not missing the way Jesse and Hardcase’s eyes followed them. You let them fall back down with a sigh, laying one back in Jesse’s grasp. “It’s been way too long.”

Narei snorted. “Speak for yourself.”

Sinker finally looked up from where his eyes were trained on her thigh. “You allergic to the sun or somethin’?”

“You could say that,” she replied, gesturing to all of her protective measures. “I don’t tan, I burn.”

Boil let out a bark of laughter and grinned at Waxer. “Do you remember when we were on Ryloth and General Kenobi got that awful sunburn?”

Waxer laughed. “Yeah, I remember how Cody gave him so much shit for that.”

Torva perked up at the mention of her home world. “You’ve been to Ryloth?”

“Oh, I’ve been all over the galaxy, baby,” Waxer murmured, brushing a finger over her jaw.

Boil puffed out his chest. “Yeah, we were there for the Battle of Ryloth. Took out a whole battalion of droids there.”

Hardcase scoffed. “Those are rookie numbers.” He positioned his arm behind you and leaned in so his breath tickled your shoulder. “I couldn’t tell you how many of those clankers I’ve blown up.”

You giggled at his claim and the way his breath on your shoulder combined with Jesse’s incessant touch sent a rush of giddiness through you, leaving you feeling breathless. “Oh, really?”

“Oh, yeah?” Sinker snorted. “I bet I took out three battalions of clankers on Cato Neimoidia and that damn Viceroy’s personal ship.”

Narei ran her fingers through Sinker’s stark white hair, who leaned into her touch. “Oh, that sounds scary.”

“Nah, me and Sinker are the best shots in the 104th,” Boost said, sitting up straighter and grinning at her.

“You know you shouldn’t tell lies, Boost.”

Your group turned to look at the two men who had walked up to your spot. Narei detangled her fingers from Sinker’s hair and waved at them.

“Hi Master Kenobi, Master Plo,” she said. “Enjoying your visit?”

The two Jedi masters nodded.

“Yes, it has been quite relaxing,” said Master Kenobi.

“Though I think some of us might be enjoying it too much,” said Master Plo, who had spoken earlier. “Eh, Boost?”

Boost rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks tinged a little pink. “I wasn’t lyin’, sir, just…ah….”

“Embellishing?” teased Jesse. Boost glared at him as you and Torva stifled your giggles.

The two generals chuckled at their trooper’s antics.

“Anyway,” Master Kenobi continued, turning to Narei, “the reason why we are here is because Padmé wanted to know if you wanted to meet the twins. She brought them down where we are stationed.” He motioned farther down the beach where you could see more people sitting.

“Oh!” Narei gasped, standing and disentangling herself from Boost and Sinker’s grasp. “Oh my goodness, yes! I would love to see them!” She pulled on your and Torva’s arms, pulling the both of you up. “You have to come see them! They're so cute!”

You didn’t notice the audible protests from your group of admirers as the three of you rushed off to see the babies. Boost and Sinker pouted, putting their heads on their hands, while Boil, Waxer, and Hardcase glared at their generals for interrupting their flirting. Jesse huffed and kicked at the sand.

“Beat by a kid that can't even walk yet,” he muttered, crossing his arms.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Obi-Wan teased, patting Jesse’s shoulder. “You’ll all have your chance soon enough.”

---

The babbling of the two infants mixed with the sound of the wind and the waves. You held a giggling Leia on your hip with Torva beside you making faces at her. Narei was cooing at Luke who was in Padmé’s arms.

“I'm sorry I couldn’t come see them sooner,” Narei said to the former senator. “You know how it gets at work sometimes, especially now that we’re at the end of everything.”

Padmé laughed. “Oh, yes I understand. Sometimes I do miss being in the Senate, but it is nice to come home and relax.”

“I bet these two are a handful,” Torva said, taking Leia from you and bouncing her on her hip.

“Oh, Anakin is worse than the both of them,” Padmé sighed, rolling her eyes. She looked over her shoulder where her husband was playing in the water with two others. “I suppose it’s a good thing he cares so much, but I didn’t think he was going to leave their sides.”

The three of you laughed at the image of the tall Jedi master worrying over the more than capable senator.

“Well, I’d say he’s got his work cut out for him,” you laughed, squeezing Leia’s plump baby cheeks.

---

You, Torva, and Narei finally said your goodbyes to Padmé, promising to come visit again some time. Your group of admirers met you halfway to your spot, and asked if you three wanted to play in the water, now that the sun was at its hottest and highest peak. You and Torva agreed while Narei declined, opting to sit and relax in the shallows. Hardcase waved over the togruta that was with Anakin earlier, Ahsoka, so you all could have a three-way chicken fight.

“You guys are gonna get destroyed!” Ahsoka threatened from Hardcase’s shoulders, the both of them grinning.

“I don’t think so!” you threatened back from atop Jesse’s shoulders. You felt the rush of giddiness again as Jesse’s warm hands encircled your thighs and you grasped at his broad shoulders.

Torva laughed from Boil’s shoulders, flipping her lekku behind her back. Waxer remained off to the side as the referee.

“Ready?” he asked. All of you nodded. “Alright. On your marks, get set, go!”

Jesse charged directly at Boil and Torva. You and Torva locked hands, squealing and laughing while trying to push each other off-balance. You pushed her back a little hard, causing her to sway off balance and Boil to take a few steps back, but then they came right back for you. This time, instead of grasping hands, you went right for the roots of her lekku, where you knew she was ticklish.

Torva squealed. “No fair!” Caught off guard, you pushed her again, this time causing her to fall down into the water, pulling a startled Boil with her.

Too caught up in your victory, you didn’t notice Ahsoka and Hardcase sneaking up behind you until you felt her hands on your back.

“Whoa! Sneak attack!” Jesse exclaimed, turning you around to grapple with Ahsoka.

You locked hands with her and tried to match her, but with her Jedi training, she was too strong for her. Soon you found yourself falling backwards, yelling, holding onto Jesse’s shoulders, and dragging him down in the water with you.

The salty water rushed around your ears as you bobbed up to the surface, gasping and laughing. Jesse surfaced beside you, and you swam over to him, wrapping your arms around his neck to keep you floating.

“Looks like they were right, huh?” Jesse chuckled, nodding to Hardcase and Ahsoka who were celebrating their victory by hooting and splashing in the water.

You sighed, setting your chin on his shoulder. “Yeah, we never stood a chance against a Jedi.” You looked in the opposite direction to find where Torva, Boil, and Waxer went.

“Well, there is something that I know that a Jedi couldn’t do,” Jesse murmured.

You turned back around to find that Jesse had turned himself to face you in the water, one arm supporting you by your waist. He raised his eyes from where he was looking at the way the cold water lapped at the tops of your breast and gave you a crooked grin. You raised an eyebrow, your lips curling up in a sultry smile, and caressed his cheek.

“Oh, really?” you asked. “You’ll have to catch me first!” You pushed off from his leg with a laugh and swam away, headed for Torva, who had acquired a donut floaty. You could hear Jesse splashing behind you to catch up.

You swam up to Torva’s floaty, wrapping your arms around it opposite of her. When you settled, she motioned behind you with a nod of her head. You looked behind you where Narei was sitting in the shallows with Boost and Sinker. One of her hands played with Sinker’s hair, who was asleep in her lap, while the other stood at a right angle on her knee, supporting her chin. She was listening to Boost talk, who had placed an arm behind her, leaning in close to her, a flirtatious smile on her face.

You sighed. “She’s really good at that.”

“Yeah,” Torva sighed also. Then she grinned at you. “At least there’s lots of them to go around, huh? We might still have a chance.”

You rolled your eyes at her, but you had to admit she was right. “At least we got separate rooms at the hotel.” And you hoped Jesse and Hardcase would see yours tonight.

---

You and Torva swam with the boys from the 501st and 212th and Ahsoka for a while after that. Jesse and Hardcase had a contest to see who could hold their breath the longest. (Hardcase won, but only after you pulled him up a minute after Jesse resurfaced). Then they tried for a splashing contest against you girls, until Ahsoka almost washed them away with a wave she created with the Force. (Which they called cheating, but it was four against three, so you thought it was fair.) Now, you held Jesse’s shoulders, giggling, as he lazily dragged you around in the water, with Hardcase swimming behind you, trying to grasp gently at your legs, a playful look in his eyes. Torva floated on her donut floaty somewhere beside you, her lekku dangling and swaying in the water, Boil and Waxer floating beside her. Ahsoka had rejoined Padmé with the twins.

You made Jesse pause when you heard your name being called from the shore. Narei was standing in the shallows, waving at you to come to her.

“I wonder what she wants,” you mused, mostly to yourself. Torva was already headed that way, Boil and Waxer following along.

“I’ll race you there,” Hardcase said, still grinning at you. He dove under the water, quickly heading for the shore.

You yelped when Jesse took off after him, clutching at his shoulders tighter as he raced through the water. You made it to the shore just a few moments after Hardcase.

“I don’t know about you two, but I'm pretty hungry,” Narei said.

You placed a hand over your stomach as you felt the familiar pang of hunger as well. You hadn’t noticed it with all the excitement.

“Ooh, yeah, I want to check out that sushi place by the hotel,” Torva said. She and Narei started walking back to your stuff still lying in the sand.

“I’ll be there in a minute!” you called after them. You turned back to Jesse and Hardcase, still in the shallows, grinning and jabbing at each other.

“What's up?” Hardcase asked.

“We’re going to get something to eat,” you replied, jerking your thumb to where Torva and Narei were packing up their things. “We’re pretty hungry after a long day at the beach.”

“So, you’re leaving for the day?” Jesse asked. If you didn’t know any better, you would almost say he looked like a sad puppy.

“Yeah, but we’ll be back tomorrow probably,” you said. You thought for a moment, the crossed your arms over your chest, sauntering toward them. “You know…there is a bar in the hotel....” You uncrossed your arms and placed a hand on both of their chests. “Meet me there later?”

Both of the men looked at each other, sharing a lopsided grin before turning back to face you. “Sounds like a plan,” Hardcase said, winking at you as they left.

A thrill ran up your spine as you watched them walk away. You turned to grab your things further up the beach with Torva and Narei. Now you had something else to look forward to tonight.

---

The bar was packed. Everyone was celebrating, as you had anticipated. Lights and music pulsed all around you, and it would almost be too much if not for the liquor already coursing through your veins. The three of you were sitting at the bar counter, drinks in hand, and waiting for the boys to show.

“Do you think they’ll come?” you asked, biting your lip and glancing again at the door.

Narei rolled her eyes and downed her drink in one gulp. “Not if you keep looking like a lost puppy.”

You sighed and glanced down at your drink, taking a sip of it. The sweet liquid burned its way down your throat, giving you a little boost of confidence. You looked back up and straightened your shoulders.

Torva laughed on your other side. “See? We don’t need them to have fun. It’s our girl’s vacay anyway!” She slid off of her stool and tugged at you hand. “C’mon! Dance with me!”

You laughed with her, letting her tug you off your stool and drag you to the dancefloor. You held her hand and swayed to the music with her, laughing and letting the giddy feeling of the alcohol and the music flow through you. She held your hand up and you twirled around her, letting your feet slide you out of her grasp. You bumped into someone and you gasped, turning around to apologize. “Oh! I'm sorry—!” You gasped again when you realized it was the two clones you were waiting for. “Jesse! ‘Case!”

“Havin’ fun without us, princess?” Hardcase asked, his hands sliding to your waist.

The strong liquor running through your bloodstream made you feel braver than usual. Your hands went to his cheeks and you leaned up to give him a quick kiss on his lips. You giggled at the surprised look on his face.

“What took you so long?” you giggled, turning to Jesse behind you.

“’Case had to make sure he looked good,” Jesse said. He put his thumb on your chin and pulled you to his lips.

You hummed and leaned into his touch. You rested a hand on his chest, leaning up slightly on your tiptoes to reach him, and broke away from him with a smile. You looked down to observe their outfits and hummed appreciatively again. “You dressed all fancy for me?” They were wearing, what you could assume, their gray military uniforms.

Hardcase tugged on the hand you left resting on his cheek and grinned. “Dress to impress, baby.”

You turned to face him completely, placing your hands on his shoulders. You liked the way their uniforms accentuated their broad chests and shoulders. Theirs had blue stripes, just like their swim trunks had.

“How much have you had to drink, baby?” Hardcase asked, pulling you closer to him. You noted the slight tinge of concern to his voice.

You rolled your eyes. “Just one! Narei was buying!”

“How ‘bout we buy you all the drinks you want?” Jesse murmured into your ear, pulling you toward the bar.

“No!” you exclaimed, pouting. “I want to dance! Dance with me!” You pulled both of them further onto the dance floor, laughing.

You didn’t know how long you danced with them. You could have danced all night with them, with the pulsing lights and music, with the alcohol coursing through your veins. It was only until Hardcase’s grip on your hips and sides became tighter, pulling you in for more heated kisses, and Jesse’s gaze became more intense and his mouth twitched up into an even cockier smile that you thought you might want to take things to your room.

“I think it’s time for a change of scenery, don’t you ‘Case?” Jesse asked. He nodded in the direction of the bar’s exit.

“Wait! I need to tell my friends!” You turned around to find Torva and Narei within the packed bar. You saw Torva in a booth sitting in Boil’s lap with Waxer’s lips attached to her neck. Narei sat at the bar with Boost and Sinker’s rapt attention. You huffed slightly in annoyance.

“I think they’re in good company,” Hardcase said behind you.

You turned back around to face them, a grin on your face. “I’d like some good company for myself.” You took both of their hands and led them out of the bar and up to your room, giggling with anticipation.

---

Soft breaths tickled your nose. You scrunched and wiggled it, squinting your eyes open. Your eyes were met with the rich brown skin of Hardcase, sleeping next to you. You smiled and traced the blue geometric lines down his face. His lips twitched and he let out a small puff of breath.

“G’mornin’,” he muttered, not opening his eyes.

You giggled and placed a kiss to his lips. “Good morning.” You tried shifting to face him, but then realized Jesse was still sleeping on your chest, his soft snores tickling the skin of your neck. You bent your head to give a quick kiss on his forehead and traced the tattoo covering the left side of his face.

Hardcase yawned and peeked his eyes open, stretching slightly. “How much did I drink last night?”

You laughed softly, so as not to wake Jesse. “I think I was the only one who drank last night.” You stretched your arms up and over your head, trying to wriggle out from underneath Jesse. “And now I have to go to the ‘fresher.”

“It’s alright if you’re a little rough,” Hardcase said, chuckling. “Jess’ don’t wake up for nothin’.” He shifted over and up slightly to let you wriggle out from underneath Jesse. Jesse just grunted and snuggled deeper into the blankets.

You stood up and grabbed your phone off the bedside table. You turned back around to give another quick kiss to Hardcase, who had flopped over to the other side of the bed. “I’ll be right back.”

You padded into the refresher. The hotel soaps were still in their packaging with your tooth cleanser and other toiletries stacked with them. You turned on the tap and splashed some warm water on your face, scrubbing it with a cloth. You grimaced at the marks on your neck and around your collarbone. That was going to be hard to explain.

Once you were done, you checked your phone. You bit your lip to stop smirking. Two unread messages on your group chat with Torva and Narei. This was gonna be good, you thought.

torva 🤘: so uhh

torva 🤘: wild night huh guys 😂 😂

You snickered. Yeah definitely 😂, you texted back. I'm gonna have to go out in a turtleneck now 😂 😂

torva 🤘: same 😂 😂

You sighed and rooted through your makeup bag that you had brought with you. You could probably cover it up with some foundation and concealer, as long as you didn’t stay too long in the water.

You looked back at your phone when you heard it ping again. Narei had sent a photo. You opened it and gasped, covering you mouth to control your laughter. She had taken it from the neck up; her hair was wild and she had a hand covering her forehead. The thing that stood out the most was the large bite mark on her neck, where you noticed Sinker’s platinum hair peeking in at the corner.

narei 😏: do either of you know how to cover a bite mark?

torva 🤘: YOU DIDN’T

torva 🤘: MOTHER OF MOONS 😂 😂

narei 😏: they're not called the wolfpack for nothing

You leaned against the refresher sink, your body almost collapsing from holding in your laughter. It seemed all three of you had some explaining to do today.

[datastate]

for the ask meme... cody and/or rex?

taking rex for this one!!!

- realistic:

selective mutism babeyyy. he can deal w situations in the present, when it’s loud and he Needs to act and command and all that, but when it gets quieter and stuff, so does he, even if people r looking to him to help destroy the lingering tense feelings everyone’s got, he. can’t speak at all. it’s usually jesse who takes on that and helps give general advice. jesse tries to keep personal opinions out of this part bc he Knows he’s gonna get cynical and rex is alredy stressed as it is. they care abt each other. + anakin learns quickly to leave rex be until the day afterward, when he’s in a better way.

- while it may not be realistic it is hilarious:

he IMPLIED that anakin was cute once and now everyone makes fun of him for loving a white boy even tho he didn’t even say he fell for him!! he just said anakin MIGHT be cute, to someone. certainly to padmé.

- heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends:

hmm i have many but here’s smth i don’t feel is talked abt much. the 212th and 501st stay by each other for a Good While after umbara. mostly bc there r many instances where people just. Need to check and make sure another they care for from the other battalion is still alive, steadily recovering, or at least still breathing. they’re much closer w each other than the other battalions. rex was familiar w waxer’s company, fond of him and familiar w boil, and it was rough just needing to stand by while he knew cody pulled boil away from medbay to tell her that waxer died. it took rex reaffirming this for boil to really accept it. neither rex or cody saw her outside the barracks for a while after that, not that they really were able to keep track of much. it all kinda became. a blur of fucked up shit.

- unrealistic, but I will disregard canon:

i know rex is naturally blond but it really doesn’t sit right w me BWMDSJG (even tho i know arla’s also blond n he could be proof of her) if i weren’t afraid of him being completely unrecognizable i’d change his hair color to be a dark brown like a normal person /lh

[h2-oh-fic]

time 2 talk abt the sw au on here ig

and what better way to start than with how well characters vibe w each other (and when i say characters i mean obi-wan, anakin, ahsoka, oc, cody, rex (in this case))

(note: main oc, aerin, (as pictured in my icon) is obi-wan's padawan for ~the first 2 yrs of tcw (had a master previously) bc reasons, so...)

not doing ones that are pretty much the same as canon

but. cody & anakin? terrible. do not vibe at all

rest below a cut so u don't have to read my rambling if u don't want to

aerin & anakin: complicated. they both try, but they also both have v strong personalities so they tend to get each others' hackles up unintentionally. still care abt each other (once they get to know each other) right up to (in quantum!verse) o66, at which point aerin immediately vows that it is On Sight, You're A Dead Man Anakin

aerin & obi-wan: chill vibes. not quite familial, not quite friendship, but still close. aerin's original master was bffs with quinlan. this has noticable side-effects.

aerin & ahsoka: devil siblings. vaguely knew each other pre-tcw. work great together, get on well. despite differing opinions on a lot of stuff.

aerin & cody: Are You Sure They're Not Twins TM. technically equals, sort of. somehow run on The Exact Same Wavelength. co-conspirators & bffs. (aerin: would you like a lightsabre. cody, holding up obi-wans: i already have one)

aerin & rex: It Shouldn't Work But It does. kind of piss each other off sometimes, but there's a lot of respect there. brought together by multiple very terrible incidents, constantly owing each other life-debts, have definitely lost track of who has more currently (especially post o66)

[bb-8]

Hi Cody! I loved tros, but as more and more ppl start posting abt it i started feeling like i must have watched a different movie? Everyone seems polarized on why they hate it, but hating it together? Like i don’t feel like i can express how much i loved the movie, at least here on tumblr.. feel free to just ignore my msg, but i wanted to ask if u have any advice on how to remain positive abt this movie that i loved, and still be part of some kind of sw online community? Lots of love💞

I’m really sorry that people are getting you down or making you feel like you can’t contribute! Feel free to come chat any time :) And I’m really happy that you liked it! I’m seeing it for the 3rd time on the 30th and I’m excited to cry again lol.

It’s not just you, and it can be really hard to remain positive when everyone states opinions like facts. But don’t forget that these are just opinions. Fandom mentality is…rough. The only solid advice I have is don’t be afraid to unfollow on here and don’t be afraid to mute or block on Twitter. Create a happy bubble. And if that fails, /r/StarWarsCantina on reddit is still a really positive place and full of like-minded people.

I’ve noticed that people find ‘comfort’ in seeing negative reviews and people sharing the negativity. It’s really bizarre to me, and it’s a bit of a bummer to see people wanting things to fail, especially if you enjoyed something. There’s no easy way to tune out the negativity, especially when it’s coming from the corner of the fandom that used to be on ‘your’ side, if that makes sense. But just remember that everything that is being laid out is an opinion, even if it is being presented like the truth. (Example: I saw a lot of people upset that Rey was wearing white and they were portraying her as virginal and that was sexist…or, you know, she’s wearing white because she’s on the light side.)

I think the hardest thing to deal with is when you actually agree with some criticisms and then that brings you down even more. But it’s totally okay to like parts of a film and not care for other parts! 

I will end this by saying that, I think the dialogue is a bit clunky and I think the film suffers from some editing woes, but like, have they heard Anakin’s speech to Padme on Geonosis? If I can be okay with that, I can be okay with a weird line or two. If I can be okay with the pivotal/emotional elements of the plot mentioned in AotC and RotS being covered in books, comics, and 6 (!) seasons of The Clone Wars, then I can be okay waiting for additional material for the things I’m not personally satisfied with. This doesn’t mean that I should ‘have’ to excuse the things I don’t like, it just means that I will because I love this story and this universe. The entire saga has been ‘filling in’ the gaps; that’s not going to change any time soon.

So you’re one of the lucky ones in that you can enjoy a ton more content coming your way! :)